29. LYCA
Chapter 29
LYCA
T oday was the day I had been both dreading and looking forward to—moving out of my old apartment and starting a new chapter in my life.
The movers had arrived., and as I watched them shuffling about in my living room, reality hit me hard. I hadn’t even packed up all my stuff from Steele Motorsport. It hadn’t sunk in yet that I would be moving to a new home and starting at a new workplace.
“So, how are you feeling?” my best friend Jessie asked. She and her fiancé, Liam, had come to help me out.
I shrugged. “I don’t know yet, to be honest. Everything’s happening so fast, and then you know what happened to Lucas…”
“Yeah, I’m so glad he’s okay!”
“And then there’s Xander who dropped by earlier…”
“What? So are you two…?”
“No, nothing,” I quickly answered. “I mean, he wanted to help out here too and maybe hang out together again, catch up. He also asked if he could get in touch once I’d moved.”
“Well, what did you say?”
“I said no.”
Jessie’s eyes widened in disbelief. It seemed like she wanted to strangle me, which made me laugh. She clutched her chest dramatically and pretended to fall down to the ground.
“It must have been so painful for him!” she exclaimed. Liam laughed at her drama too.
I brushed the issue off with a wave of my hand, then turned to Liam. “Anyway, I’m really looking forward to a change, you know. I need that, I think. So, Liam, thank you once again for hiring me in your company.”
“Oh, with Jessie’s recommendations, I’d say you’re overqualified!” Liam said, chuckling.
Jessie and I laughed. We were then interrupted by Lucas who, all of a sudden, threw himself at my friends. “Are you both coming with us to our new home?” he asked.
“You bet!” Jessie replied, giving him a hug.
“Wouldn’t miss it, buddy,” Liam chimed in.
Lucas grinned and then dragged them off to play with his cars while we waited for everything to be packed up by the movers.
Soon we were in the lobby, my son skipping happily between Jessie and Liam while I handed over my keys to the building manager. It was a bittersweet moment, leaving behind a place that held so many memories, but I was also excited for the new chapter ahead.
Just as I was about to say my final goodbye, my heart skipped a beat. Zara, Xander's cousin, entered the lobby with a pregnant girl I instantly recognized—Arianne. My stomach churned at the sight of her. I knew, though, that, thankfully, Xander wasn’t around.
I was about to look away when I noticed them eyeing me. They seemed to recognize me, but we had never been introduced. It was certainly an awkward moment.
“Lyca, right?” Zara asked in a friendly way, approaching me. “I think I’ve seen you here before. And I definitely recognize you from the photos Xander has shown me.”
Why was Xander showing her photos of me? I wondered.
“Uh, yes, I’m Lyca,” I answered politely.
“I’m Zara, Xander’s cousin,” she said. Then motioning to Arianne, she added, “And this is Arianne, Xander’s friend.”
I noticed that she said friend , not girlfriend .
Arianne gave me a fake smile, and I forced one back, trying to hide my discomfort. “Nice to meet you,” I said, my voice tight.
“Likewise,” Arianne replied, her tone polite but icy. I could feel the tension in the air. I knew this encounter was far from over.
“Would you know if Xander’s in his apartment?” Zara inquired. “Arianne asked me to accompany her to him, but we haven’t been able to reach him all day.”
Arianne frowned when Zara mentioned the favor she’d asked. It only meant that this supposed pregnant ex had no idea where Xander lived. Besides, from what I knew, they’d gone out only a few times, long before Xander had moved in here.
“I saw him early this morning,” I said matter-of-factly. “He was on his way somewhere, but I don’t know where.”
I could have invented something just to spite Arianne, but I wasn’t in the mood. Besides, I didn’t want any connection anymore with Xander.
As Zara and Arianne moved toward the exit, I couldn't help but overhear snippets of their discussion.
“I can't believe you're going through this alone,” Zara said sympathetically.
Arianne sighed. “It's not ideal, but I'll manage. I just hope he'll come around eventually.”
“Who?” Zara sounded surprised. “I thought you said the father didn't want to be involved.”
Arianne hesitated for a moment before replying, “Well, he doesn't know yet. I haven't told him.”
My heart skipped a beat. But…Xander knows. He is the father, isn’t he?
“So Xander still thinks the baby is his?” Zara asked in bewilderment.
I saw Arianne nod. “I’m sorry, I was just so confused then. But that’s why I wanted to see Xander today.”
Oh. My. God.
Relief washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by a wave of sympathy for Arianne. Despite everything, she was still facing this challenge alone.
Jessie, who was standing at the door when they left, was motioning toward me, looking as if she was about to explode. When they were gone, she dragged me outside where Liam and Lucas were waiting in the car.
“Xander isn’t the dad! I heard it!” she exclaimed.
“So?” I said, trying to seem calm and composed despite this news. “It doesn’t make any difference.”
“You need to see him, Lyca! You have to talk to him before you leave.”
“But…” I was hesitant. My mind and heart were reeling.
“Look! You love him, don’t you?” Jessie demanded.
“Uh… yes…” I answered uncertainly.
“Then go!” she exclaimed, pushing me. “He hasn’t done anything wrong, Lyca. He obviously cares so much about you. You both deserve this chance. Go on! We’ll take care of Lucas.”
I knew it was crazy, but what she was saying made sense. I needed to at least give this relationship another chance before I completely moving on without him in my life.
“Okay,” I suddenly said, my heart beating rapidly. “Thanks, Jessie. I owe you.” Quickly I leaned through the car window to give Lucas a kiss. “Mommy just has to go somewhere for a while, sweetie. But I’ll be back soon, okay? Go have fun with Jessie and Liam.”
“Okay, Mommy!” he said cheerfully, waving goodbye.
I dialed Xander’s number as I drove my car aimlessly. There was no answer. Then suddenly, I received a message from Drake, telling me to come to the racetracks immediately. It was as if he’d known I was looking for Xander.
He must have gone there after he’d dropped by this morning at my apartment , I figured. Well, he always turned to racing when he wasn’t feeling so good or when he was going through some ordeal. And I guess that’s partly my fault.
As soon as I saw the crowd gathered at the racetracks of my former workplace, a sense of terror passed through me. There was an ambulance nearby, its red light blinking. No, this can’t be happening…no way.
“What the hell’s going on?” I asked no one in particular, my heart pounding hard.
And when I got closer, my heart sank. The car was crumpled, a twisted wreck of metal, barely recognizable. Panic gripped me as I pushed through the onlookers, searching for any sign of Xander.
“Where is he? What happened?” I asked, my voice trembling.
Drake, looking grim, came forward and put a hand on my shoulder. “It was a bad crash, Lyca. They're taking him to the hospital.”
I felt the color getting drained from my face. My head began to throb. I stepped forward, then paused, feeling like I was about to faint. Drake held me tightly.
In the near distance, I saw blood on the ground beside the car. Lots of it. Then I saw his lifeless figure being carried on a stretcher.
“Xander!” I cried out, pushing through the familiar faces of employees. My stomach churned with fear. His face was filled with cuts and bruises. There was a huge gash across his chest. His legs were also drenched in his own blood.
He wasn’t moving at all. He looked… dead.